#pam bondi education

[sohan121]

3 takeaways from Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing Reed More

[reality-detective]

Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has stated that anyone connected to Jeffrey Epstein has no legal grounds to prevent their names from being revealed in public records. Justice IS Coming 🤔

[bloghrexach]

💥— always hire the best people!! HA! - 💥

@hrexach

[saywhat-politics]

The America First Policy Institute, a MAGA movement think tank founded by former Trump aides, has raised millions in tax-exempt funds to promote policies that would undermine public education, restrict access to abortion, limit voter registration and voting, roll back environmental protections, gut government’s ability to regulate corporate behavior, pursue campaigns against transgender people, and more.

AFPI has provided money, an institutional home, and political platforms to many of the people Trump has nominated to run the country; quite a few high-level Trump nominees have AFPI connections, including:

Pam Bondi, Attorney General (Chair, AFPI Center for Litigation; co-chair Center for Law and Justice) 

Kash Patel, FBI (Senior Fellow, AFPI Center for American Security)

Linda McMahon, Education (Board chair; chair, Center for the American Worker)

Lee Zeldin, Environmental Protection Agency (Chair, China Policy Initiative & Pathway to 2025)

John Ratcliffe, Central Intelligence Agency (C-chair Center for National Security)

Doug Collins, Veterans Affairs (head of Georgia AFPI Chapter)

Brooke Rollins, Agriculture (Co-founder, President and CEO)

Kevin Hassett, National Economic Council (Chair, Board of Academic Advisors)

Matthew Whitaker, NATO (Co-chair, Center for Law & Justice)

Casey Mulligan, Small Business Administration, chief counsel (Board of Academic Advisors)

[mariacallous]

WASHINGTON – Four weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes power, all his rhetoric and appointments are indicating that his campaign's vow to crack down on pro-Palestinian sentiment in America will be a defining factor of his administration's early days.

Throughout the campaign, both Trump and the Republican Party insisted that such a clampdown would be quick and complete. After Trump's speedy cabinet appointments and ahead of a Congress ruled by a GOP majority, the fight against the pro-Palestinian movement might be one of the only things that has a clear path across the government.

Once Trump's picks for the top diplomatic positions are in place, such as Marco Rubio as secretary of state and Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador, the harshest step – the deporting of pro-Palestinian protesters who have student visas – could be the first move. Both Rubio and Stefanik are well-known proponents of such a step, one of Trump and the GOP's few solid policy commitments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the campaign.

In October, Rubio wrote to the current secretary of state, Antony Blinken, urging him to "immediately perform a full review and coordination effort to revoke the visas of those who have endorsed or espoused Hamas' terrorist activity."

Stefanik, meanwhile, has doubled down on her star-making turn as university-president interrogator by calling for students' deportation. She told Fox News in May that these students "are pro-Hamas members of a mob who are calling for the eradication of Israel. They are calling for genocide against Jews around the world and in America. It is unthinkable that we are allowing this to happen at U.S. universities."

The blueprint is there

Other nominees more focused on domestic matters have also suggested that the pro-Palestinian protest movement will be a key issue. Among them is Pam Bondi, Trump's second attempt at a nominee for attorney general. The former Florida attorney general has called for a revocation of visas and condemned the campus protests.

The thing that's really the most troubling to me [are] these students in universities in our country, whether they're here as Americans or if they're here on student visas, and they're out there saying 'I support Hamas,'" she told Newsmax last year.

Bondi added: "Frankly they need to be taken out of our country or the FBI needs to be interviewing them right away."

Trump's choice to lead the FBI is controversial loyalist Kash Patel. While the former federal prosecutor doesn't have much of a record on campus protests, he is most notorious for his desire to remove any of Trump's critics and doubters from the national security apparatus.

Further, Patel's experience as the National Security Council's senior director of counterterrorism during Trump's first term positions him to crack down on pro-Palestinian sympathizers. A blueprint for this is detailed in Project Esther, a plan to combat antisemitism unveiled by the Heritage Foundation, which is behind Project 2025, the 922-page paper outlining conservatives' plans to fundamentally alter the government.

The underlying thesis of Project Esther – a more tractable 33 pages – is that "America's virulently anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and anti-American 'pro-Palestinian movement' is part of a global Hamas Support Network (HSN)."

The task force's mission statement calls for a coalition to "dismantle the infrastructure" that purportedly sustains the alleged network. This would take one to two years. "Supported by activists and funders dedicated to destroying capitalism and democracy, the HSN benefits from the support and training of America's overseas enemies," the document states.

It adds that this network "seeks to achieve its goals by taking advantage of our open society, corrupting our education system, leveraging the American media, coopting the federal government, and relying on the American Jewish community's complacency."

The document suggests how a potential Trump administration would crack down on protesters, something he has promised. It also calls for the deporting of protesters in the United States on student visas and the targeting of universities' tax-exempt status. It notes laws that might "exploit [the network's] vulnerabilities," require representatives of foreign entities to disclose their connections, and target organized crime and racketeering.

Hardliner Harmeet Dhillon

One bill that will not be in the law books anytime soon is the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which is aimed at combating campus antisemitism. It also requires the Education Department to take the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism into account when determining if an action or practice that violates Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was motivated by antisemitism.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the act earlier this year, despite concerns on the left that criticism of Israel would be conflated with antisemitism and on the right that the bill had dramatic implications on freedom of speech. There were also tropes from far-right Republicans that the bill would state that Jews killed Jesus.

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has kept the bill off the Senate floor for a vote by attaching it to various other packages that he hopes to push through.

Amid this stalemate, another notable opponent has emerged: Harmeet Dhillon, Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, which will play a major role in enforcing federal action combating antisemitism.

Dhillon, one of Trump's top legal minds behind his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, slammed the Antisemitism Awareness Act upon its House passage. "I have been a First Amendment and religious liberties lawyer for minority and majority faith communities for decades and this bill is knee-jerk anti-constitutional dreck," she wrote on X.

She added: "Do better, think harder, and be smarter, Congress. 'Hate speech' laws are a liberal concept." But Dhillon has joined her new colleagues in being a vocal advocate for cracking down on the campus protest movement.

"Sue Yale," she wrote on X in April. "Sue every university that refuses to keep students safe based on their religion. Make them regret their choices. Deplete their endowments. Sue each and every violent protester and organizers. Drain their bank accounts. Sow salt in their career plans."

Dhillon followed that post by laying into a protest at UCLA: "I defend the right of these jackass terrorist apologists to protest, but they do NOT have the right to block access to other students or prevent them from going to class. My tax dollars are subsidizing UCLA and the Regents need to get their act together ASAP or be sued!"

Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary nominee, has also publicly committed to prioritizing the issue, even if the incoming president has vowed to dismantle her department.

"Certainly. I don't think we should have any kind of discrimination anywhere, and I absolutely abhor any kind of violence that we have seen on campus. It should not be allowed," she told Jewish Insider without specifying what plan she supports. "We have lots of priorities that I'm going to be dealing with, and certainly anything that is against the safety and welfare of any of our students will be a priority."

The proposed defunding of the Education Department is perhaps the plank in Project 2025 that most concerns the American-Jewish community. The Office of Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating and adjudicating allegations of antisemitism, is part of this department and has opened at least 145 investigations into such complaints.

Hardliner Brian Mast

This past summer, a rare coalition of nearly two dozen Jewish organizations across the political and denominational spectrum urged Congress to "provide the highest possible funding" for the Office of Civil Rights, despite the deep disagreements regarding antisemitism on Capitol Hill and in the Jewish world.

House Republicans, though they deemed the office's funding insufficient, voted to cut $10 million more after accusing it of failing to prioritize antisemitism. Several Trump-allied Republicans have also highlighted the office's role in culture war issues like Title IX and what they call "forcing women to compete against males in sports."

Holding a razor-thin majority and already plagued by infighting, the House GOP might find that advancing legislation relating to the Palestinians is the only influential work it can get done in the next session of Congress.

In a surprise development, Rep. Brian Mast has been slated to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee after Trump advocated on his behalf. The Florida congressman has long been considered the U.S. lawmaker most hostile to the Palestinians. He has decried efforts to bolster humanitarian aid for Gaza and dismissed the notion of innocent Palestinian civilians.

"I don't think we would so lightly throw around the term 'innocent Nazi civilians' during World War II. It is not a far stretch to say there are very few innocent Palestinian civilians," he said in remarks that led to an unsuccessful effort in the House to formally rebuke him.

Mast, an evangelical Christian, once volunteered with the Israeli military, and he wore his uniform in Congress in the days after the October 7 attack. That was a way to protest Rep. Rashida Tlaib's placing of a Palestinian flag outside her office.

Mast has also condemned the concept of a two-state solution while spearheading legislation to permanently cut U.S. funding for the UNRWA refugee agency, among other hostile bills. He has also slammed U.S. efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and advocated for expedited and expanded weapons sales to Israel.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Right Wing Watch:

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s second pick for U.S. Attorney General, has ties to New Apostolic Reformation dominionists who worked hard to put Trump back in office and believe his election will bring about a spiritual “great awakening” that will help like-minded right-wing Christians take control of the “seven mountains” of influence in America—government, business, education, media, arts and entertainment, religion, and family. 

After Bondi left office as Florida’s Attorney General, she joined the America First Policy Institute, a think tank created by former staffers that, like the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, has been laying the groundwork for a “revolutionary” plan to “seize control” and dismantle the “administrative state” -- federal agencies charged with protecting American workers, consumers, and communities from corporate wrongdoing. This year, AFPI partnered with dominionist Lance Wallnau’s Courage Tour, which mixed religious revival with Christian nationalist politics and pro-Trump political organizing. Wallnau celebrated the announcement of Bondi’s nomination as a “great pick,” noting, “She’s part of the America First Policy Institute, a great group I had the privilege of working with in the last year.”  Reflecting the MAGA movement’s increasingly aggressive Christian nationalist orientation, AFPI claims scriptural foundations for every aspect of its right-wing policy agenda, which it has called “10 Pillars for Restoring a Nation Under God.” 

Former Florida AG Pam Bondi, who Donald Trump tapped to replace Matt Gaetz for the DOJ head job, has ties to Seven Mountains Dominionists and Christian Nationalists.

[gwydionmisha]

Cabinet Committee Hearings 1/21/24

Please contact your senators and ask them to reject dangerous and unqualified cabinet picks. I don't have a lot of hope at this point, but better to fight than roll belly up. If nothing else ask them to resist Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, RFK Jr., Russel Vought, Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel.

Usually they just log for or against. If they want a reason, I've listed some below. Use reason for Democrats. For Republicans: Stress military readiness, national security, and the integrity and morale of the military, law and order, etc..

All of these are terrible. Complain about whatever you have energy for (most important bolded):

TUESDAY:

Doug Collins, Veterans Affairs - Very conservative Trump Loyalist. Could be far worse.

Elise Stefanik, U.N. ambassador, entirely self agendaed with zero principles. Could be far worse and gets her out of congress. Will likely sail through like shit through a goose as she has some democratic support. Don't waste your energy.

WEDNESDAY:

Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget, is a Project 2025 person with absolutely disastrous plans. He plans to purge the civil service on political grounds and replace honest non-partisan people with right wing extremists as part of implementing autocracy. he also plans to overthrow Congress' power to allocate funds by illegally preventing the disbursement of Medicare, Social Security, EBT, Housing, Education, etc. funds in order to destroy the social safety net. He will likely get away with it as the SCOTUS are so in the bag for kleptocratic fascist autocracy that they've been declaring black letter parts of the constitution un constitutional and thrown out ideas like precedent and rule of law. This guy is terrifying and he's barely getting any coverage or notice.

"Russ Vought wants to make Congress obsolete:" https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-cabinet-russ-vought-project-2025-rcna187838

THURSDAY:

"What to know about Brooke Rollins, Trump’s pick for agriculture secretary:" https://www.wnct.com/news/politics/ap-what-to-know-about-brooke-rollins-trumps-pick-for-agriculture-secretary/

Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options:

Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/

Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Newsletter from Marc Elias

For the first week of Trump’s second presidency, we’re offering full previews of the exclusive content available to our premium members. There will be a lot of noise and distraction over the next four years — that’s why we’re here to expose the actions taken by the Trump administration to undermine our democracy and cover the legal efforts to fight back.

Join us to get exclusive analysis like this, invites to members-only live events, opportunities to connect with fellow pro-democracy readers and more. Become a member todayand stay ahead of the curve during Trump 2.0.

The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy. My advice is to take the first step, start with something small and see what works for you. Here are ten things all of us can do.

1. Stay engaged

When all the news is about Trump and pardons and lies, it is easy to want to retreat and stop paying attention. Don’t. It is precisely when things are hard that we must all lean into remaining vigilant and informed.

2. Help Democrats

The success of any opposition movement rests on the opposing party taking power. This is not a minor detail; in our system of government, it is the essential goal. Next time you want to attack a Democrat for being too much of this or too little of that, realize that you are only helping the GOP. Instead, find a Democrat you support and volunteer or contribute to their campaign.

3. Don’t do Trump’s work

This is more than simply resisting Trump’s actions; it is refusing to accept his false assumptions. When he says he wants to abolish birthright citizenship, do not accept the premise that he has the power to do so. Stay grounded in the truth: The U.S. Constitution is clear, Trump is powerless and the courts will reject his efforts.

4. Don’t grade on a curve

This goes both ways. Do not hold Republicans to a lower standard and do not hold Democrats to a higher one. When a Republican does something normal, recognize it is normal not exceptional. When a Democrat does something normal, recognize it is normal and not terrible.

5. Believe in the courts

Republicans control all three elected branches of the federal government. They do not control the courts. Yes, the U.S. Supreme Court has a solidly conservative majority, but the high court only hears a few dozen cases a year. And in some of those, the Court has sided with democracy. Most importantly, remember that Joe Biden confirmed a record number of new federal judges. And, of course, there are state courts. For better or worse, we are dependent on the courts to help protect democracy. Rather than assume they will not, insist they do.

6. Beware of false attacks

Pam Bondi is an election denier. Kash Patel has an enemies list of political opponents. Donald Trump has promised retribution. When you hear that a Trump foe is under investigation, be skeptical. When you read about anonymous leaks against pro-democracy leaders, consider that it may be part of an effort to discredit their work.

7. Support independent media

The legacy media is failing our democracy. Every day brings more news of another billionaire owner or corporate overlord bowing down to Trump. The solution is found in independent news outlets that have no incentive to make nice with the Republican Party. Some of these are broad-based news operations, some are issue specific. Pick a few and subscribe for free. Find one or two that you pay to support. It will go a long way to ensure a vibrant media ecosystem willing to stand up for democracy.

8. Use your town square

Every one of us has a town square. It may include our social media accounts, our local book club or dinner table. Use your town square to speak out in favor of democracy and against what Republicans are doing. Do not shy away from difficult conversations; seek them out. Engage the curious. Educate those who seek information. We all have a role to play, so don’t assume your voice is too faint or your platform too small.

9. Prepare for a long fight

In 2017, we hoped that Trumpism was a fluke and would pass. We now know it will not. We are in for a long fight and must build and commit to an opposition movement that will stand the test of time. We will have victories and setbacks, good days and bad. We must understand that this will not be over in one election or with the defeat of any one candidate. This is the fight of our generation, and it will take time.

10. Don’t give up hope

Our best political movements were hopeful. John Kennedy insisted that “we should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.” Bill Clinton was the man from Hope. Barack Obama ran a campaign based on hope and change. Donald Trump and the Republicans want you to give up hope. Despair and cynicism fuel their movement. We must always, in the words of Jesse Jackson, “keep hope alive.”BECOME A MEMBER

We also understand that not everyone is able to make this commitment, which is why our free daily and weekly newsletters aren’t going anywhere! If you prefer not to receive samples of our premium content and only want our free daily and weekly newsletters, you can opt out here. For questions about your subscription or general support, visit our FAQ page here.

[keep-both-eyes-on-trump]

Trump Watch #9

Trump has named the following: 

Linda McMahon as secretary of education. 

McMahon is a wrestling billionaire and co-founder of WWE. 

She has long been a supporter of Trump and served in his first administration as leader of the Small Business Administration. 

She has served on the Connecticut Board of Education and the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. 

She supports charter schools and school choice. 

Scott Bessent for treasury secretary.

Bessent is a billionaire who advised Trump on economic policy during his campaign; he has experience founding and working for hedge funds.

If confirmed he will be the first LGBTQ+ Senate-confirmed cabinet member in a republican administration. 

He supports extending Trump’s tax cuts and deregulation.

He also supports Trump’s embrace of the crypto industry. 

Russell Vought for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Vought held the same position during Trump’s first term. 

He is a key architect from Project 2025 writing the chapter on the Executive Office within which he takes aim at federal regulatory agencies that are not under control of the White House..

He is a strong advocate for recess appointments of Trump’s nominees. 

Lori Chavez-Deremer as labor secretary.

Chavez-Deremer was the first Latina congresswoman of Oregon; she lost re-election in November. 

She co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act which would make it easier for workers to unionize. 

She has strong support from unions. 

Pam Bondi as attorney general.

Bondi is the Florida attorney general and is the first woman to hold the position. 

As FL state attorney general she brought cases against the Affordable Care Act and fought to maintain FL’s ban on same-sex marriage. 

She is a longtime ally of Trump, served as a chairwomen of America First Policy Institute, and defended Trump during his first impeachment trial. 

She received a $25,000 donation from Trump’s charitable foundation and subsequently her office dropped a suit against Trump’s company for fraud stating there were insufficient grounds to proceed. A prosecutor assigned by then-Gov. Rick Scott determined there was insufficient evidence to support bribery charges. 

Brook Rollins as secretary of agriculture

Rollins is a co-founder and president of think tank America First Policy and served as assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives during Trump’s first administration. 

She is a lawyer with an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University in agricultural development. 

Dr Marty Makary as Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

Makary is a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University. 

He supports RFK Jr. as Trump’s pick for HHS. 

He worked with the first Trump administration on transparent billing in health care. 

He opposed COVID vaccine mandates and was a critic of public health measures during the pandemic. 

Dr Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General.

Nesheiwat is a physician, medical director at CityMD, and former Fox News medical contributor. 

She is a supporter of vaccines. 

Dave Weldon to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Weldon is a physician, Army veteran, and former Republican Florida representative. 

As a congressman he introduced the Weldon Amendment which provides protections for health care workers and organizations that do not provide or aid in abortions.

Scott Turner for secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Turner previously served in the Texas House of Representatives; he is a NFL veteran and motivational speaker. 

He led the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term and currently works as chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at America First Policy Institute. 

Republicans also announced plan to create a GOP-controlled subcommittee, Delivering on Government Efficiency, to work with the Department of Government Efficiency on cutting government waste; the committee is to be chaired by Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Emma DelRosso

* * * *

Opposing the president-elect's nominations

December 2, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

Dec 02, 2024

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Trump nominated conspiracy theorist Kash Patel as FBI Director and convicted tax fraudster Charles Kushner (Jared’s father) as Ambassador to France. Trump also nominated his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law, Massad Boulos, as a senior adviser covering Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.

Last week I wrote that “Few imagined how bad Trump's nominees would be.” That statement was made before the nominations of Patel and Kushner, nominations that ratcheted up the sickening stream of dangerous, unqualified, and insulting choices that are collectively and individually the worst nominations in our nation’s history.

It is important to understand how disastrous these nominations will be for the US. However, it is not enough to bemoan and condemn Trump's nominations. This newsletter isn’t intended to be a pity party. It is a call to action.

We must flood our representatives in Congress with feedback from constituents demanding that they place the interests of the United States above the revenge agenda of the Republican leader. In the short term, that is what we can do—so we must do it. In the mid range, we can set about defeating Trump's enablers at the ballot box. There must be a political price to pay for supporting party above country and for being cowards when our nation needed courageous leaders.

Before turning to individual nominees, let’s examine the stakes. For once, Trump has been consistent in his actions and has stayed “on message”—in a bad way. His nominations can be grouped into three broad categories:

He seeks to weaken, if not destroy, the US intelligence community and federal law enforcement agencies—in retribution for their temerity in seeking to hold him to account for his crimes. Matt Gaetz (DOJ), Pam Bondi (DOJ), Tulsi Gabbard (NDI), Kash Patel (FBI), Stephen Miller (Depty. Chief of Staff), Kristi Noem (Homeland Security), Sebastian Gorka (Depty. Ass’t to President), John Ratcliffe (CIA), Pete Hegseth (DOD), and Matthew Whittaker (NATO).

He seeks to weaken, if not destroy, the federal government’s healthcare and science expertise—in retribution for their temerity in challenging his lunatic ideas about COVID. Robert Kennedy (HHS), Dr. Oz (Medicare), Jay Bhattacharya (NIH), Dave Weldon (CDC), and Martin A. Makary (FDA commissioner).

Finally, he seeks to destroy the administrative state—a “quid pro quo” to the business community for supporting a candidacy that was designed solely to evade his criminal liabilities. Elon Musk (Government Efficiency), Vivek Ramaswamy (Government Efficiency), Linda McMahon (Education), Russell T. Vought (OMB), Chris Wright (Energy), Brendan Carr (F.C.C. Chair).

Let’s take a look at Trump's most recent nominations

Kash Patel is the sworn enemy of the FBI—so Trump intends to nominate him as FBI Director

Kash Patel is in a love-hate relationship with the FBI. Patel wants to destroy the FBI while converting it into a weapon of political vengeance.

Patel has promised to “shut down” the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. on his first day as director of the FBI and re-open the FBI Headquarters the next day as a “museum to the deep state.” He said,

I'd shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state. And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals.

But he has also threatened to use the FBI to harass journalists and politicians who sought to hold Trump accountable for his crimes. Patel said,

[W]e’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections — we’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.

Note that the man who is supposed to “pursue justice” has said that retribution comes first—and “we’ll figure out” why the FBI is harassing US citizens later.

Patel’s twin aims for the FBI should be immediately disqualifying. But prominent Republicans flocked to the TV talk shows on Sunday to defend Kash Patel as a “reformer” who will “root out” the partisanship in an FBI that is dominated by right-wing MAGA leadership as it is.

Bill Barr famously said that that Kash Patel would be appointed Deputy Director of the FBI “over my dead body.” See Joyce Vance, Civil Discourse on Substack, The New Matt Gaetz.

Likewise, former acting director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, said on CNN,

The fact that Kash Patel is profoundly unqualified for this job is not even like a matter for debate. . . . The installation . . . of Kash Patel as FBI director, can only possibly be a plan to disrupt, to dismantle, to distract the FBI and to possibly use it as a tool for the president’s political agenda.

McCabe was virulently anti-Hillary Clinton, leaking damaging information to the WSJ during the 2016 campaign. (McCabe lied to then Director James Comey about the leak and was later fired for his conduct). The fact that a rogue ex-FBI Director is alarmed by Kash Patel speaks volumes.

The nomination of Kash Patel should be viewed as an assault on the US intelligence community. Although people frequently think of the FBI as chasing bank robbers and kidnappers, it plays a critical role in counterterrorism and intelligence gathering.

The FBI is a member of the US Intelligence Community and has a dual report to the Director of National Intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard). It is charged with US counterterrorism investigations and maintains 60 offices overseas (primarily to coordinate with foreign intelligence agencies).

Indeed, Kash Patel has said that he wants to extricate the FBI from intelligence activities—a move that will make all Americans less safe in a dangerous world. See AP, Trump says he'll nominate Kash Patel as FBI director to remake the agency. Here's what happens next. Per AP,

Patel has also talked about disentangling the FBI’s intelligence-gathering activities — now a core function of the bureau’s mandate — from the rest of its law enforcement operations. It’s unclear whether he intends to carry through on that pledge or how it would be greeted at a time when the U.S. is facing what officials say is a heightened threat of terrorism.

As background for the upcoming fight over Kash Patel, I recommend several sources.

First, Joyce Vance’s excellent analysis in Civil Discourse, The New Matt Gaetz.

Next, The Guardian takes a deep dive into Kash Patel’s conspiracy theory past: Conspiracy theorist Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI, faces Senate blowback | FBI | The Guardian

Finally, see the NYTimes, Kash Patel Would Bring Bravado and Baggage to F.B.I. Role. (Accessible to all.) The Times article is long on detail but short on self-awareness or political insight. For example, whatever Kash Patel's nomination means, it is not about “bravado” or “baggage.”

Patel’s threat to pursue journalists appears more than two dozen paragraphs into the Times’ story. In a democracy that is still hoping and pleading with legacy media to raise the alarm about Trump's intentions, twenty-four paragraphs into a story is not the right emphasis for an article about an FBI enforcement policy that would convert the FBI into a partisan police force directed at the media.

The Senate should reject Patel’s nomination. But Trump may attempt to place Patel in an “acting Director” role by manipulating the Federal Vacancy Reform Act. See Congressional Research Service, The Vacancies Act: A Legal Overview.

Trump's nomination of Charles Kushner as Ambassador to France is insulting to France and the US

Jared Kushner’s father—Charles Kushner—is a convicted tax fraudster who engaged in witness tampering while he was under investigation. Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner during Trump's first term. Trump has now nominated Charles Kushner as Ambassador to France.

It is difficult to imagine a less fitting Ambassador to France the Charles Kushner.

While Kushner was under investigation for tax fraud, his brother-in-law was a cooperating witness. Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and filmed the sexual encounter in a hotel room between his brother-in-law and the prostitute.

Kushner then sent the video of the sexual encounter to his sister to induce her to dissuade her husband from testifying against Kushner. See ABC News, Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to become US ambassador to France.

The nomination of Charles Kushner as US Ambassador to France is the diplomatic equivalent of flipping the middle finger to a foreign nation. France would be well within its rights to refuse to receive Kushner as the Ambassador and tell the US to recall Kushner to the states.

In the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a nation has the unilateral authority to expel an ambassador:

The receiving state may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending state that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending state shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission.

See Foreign Policy, So, How Do You Expel an Ambassador, Anyway? – Foreign Policy

Concluding Thoughts

President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden on Sunday. Against the orgy of Trump pardons of family, friends, and advisers, Biden’s pardon of his son on minor charges pursued for political purposes seems quaint and unremarkable. Biden’s reasons for pardoning his son are understandable—and probably meritorious. But Biden’s decision will become precedent for future pardons—by presidents with flimsy or corrupt reasons for pardoning family members. What is done can’t be undone, but the decision to grant a pardon to Hunter Biden was unwise and will further undermine the presidential pardon power.

And yes, I do understand the differences between Biden’s decision and the pardons issued by Trump. But examining the Hunter Biden pardon through the lens of the interests of the American people, it was unwise.

After I wrote last week that the nomination process has been more difficult than expected, I received several comments from readers (and my Managing Editor), saying, “Thanks for acknowledging that the nomination process has been worse than expected.”

It feels like we are living in a world turned upside down. Sexual abusers and convicted criminals are being nominated to positions of trust and honor. Demagogues who want to destroy the federal government are being granted leading roles in agencies they will seek to destroy. Unqualified, ignorant conspiracy mongers are being entrusted with the health and safety of our children and elderly. Disgruntled and aggrieved “ne’er do-wells” are being placed in charge of the US counterterrorism agencies.

If you feel like the subject in Edvard Munsch’s painting, The Scream, there is nothing wrong with your radar. You should feel that way—and more. I add the “and more” modifier because much of the press is still reporting on the nominations as if they are the player line-up being announced at Yankee Stadium on a Sunday afternoon.

The nominees represent a threat to the safety and stability to our society as a whole. Discussing the nominees’ “bravado” and “baggage” and “lack of experience” is misleading. The “lack of experience” is a feature, not a bug. What better way to destroy a federal agency than nominating someone who has no idea what the agency does? See, e.g., The Independent, Trump taps GOP megadonor with no military experience to head up US Navy.

We must attempt to derail as many of these nominations as possible—but especially Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert Kennedy. Call or write your Senators and make your voice heard: U.S. Senate: Contacting The Senate. Even unsuccessful efforts to stop some nominations will lay the groundwork for opposition to future actions. No effort is wasted, even if the fruits of that effort are not immediately visible.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[tomorrowusa]

Matt Gaetz, the MAGA Meryn Trant, is now out of the running for US Attorney General. Not that Pam Bondi is much better in terms of policy.

But Gaetz was not exactly the only problematic Trump nominee for office.

Trump has stated that he wishes to abolish the Department of Education. Perhaps to facilitate this, he's nominated a totally unqualified individual who looked the other way when 13 to 15 year old boys were being sexually exploited.

A recent lawsuit alleges Linda McMahon, who President-elect Donald Trump tapped to lead the Department of Education, knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment(WWE) employee as early as the 1980s — allegations she denies. McMahon is the former CEO of the WWE, which she co-founded with her husband, Vince. As head of the WWE, Linda McMahon oversaw its transformation from a wrestling entertainment company into a publicly traded media empire. She stepped down in 2009 to run for Senate, but shelost in Connecticut in 2010 and 2012. As McMahon — who co-chairs Trump’s transition team — vies to be confirmed as Education secretary, a recent lawsuit raises questions about her care for children’s safety at the WWE. The suit alleges McMahon, her husband, the WWE and TKO Group Holdings, the league’s parent company, knowingly allowedemployeeMelvin Phillips Jr. to use his position as ringside announcer to sexually exploit children. The filingalleges Phillips would recruit children to work as “Ring Boys,” helping him set up and take down wrestling rings at WWE events. However, the job was a guise for sexually exploiting the children, which Phillips would do even in front of wrestlers and executives in the locker area, the lawsuit alleges. He also would often film his sexual abuse, according to the filing. The suit was filed in October in Baltimore County, Maryland, on behalf of five John Does, who say they were ages 13 to 15 when Phillips met and recruited them to work as “Ring Boys.” Each of them say they suffered mental and emotional abuse as a result of the alleged abuse.

These allegations are not exactly new.

Phillips’ alleged abuse at the WWE was reported by the New York Post as early as 1992. “It was common knowledge in the WWE — among the ring crew, wrestlers, and executives — that Phillips surrounded himself with a posse of underaged Ring Boys, including when he traveled across state lines and stayed in hotel rooms with the children,” the lawsuit alleges. The McMahons fired Phillips in 1988 after allegations about him sexually exploiting children continued to surface, according to the lawsuit. They “rehired him six weeks later on the condition that he ‘steer clear from kids,’” but he continued sexually exploiting young boys with the McMahons’ knowledge, the lawsuit alleges. “After decades of suffering in silence from their childhood trauma, these survivors come forward now to hold Defendants accountable for their conduct in allowing the systemic and pervasive abuse by Philips,” the lawsuit alleges.

The McMahons are rather typical Trump friends.

Allegations of sex trafficking and abuse have followed Vince McMahon for some time. In 2023, Vince McMahon paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to a former employee who accused him of rape, and he stepped down this year as executive chairman of TK Holdings following allegations of sexual assault and trafficking. He has denied the allegations. Most recently, Vince McMahon is a subject in a federal criminal investigation and a separate lawsuit in federal court in Connecticut. That lawsuit was put on hold this summer until early December. A criminal investigation around McMahon also exists in New York, though it doesn’t carry legal risk for Linda McMahon, who left the WWE over a decade ago, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

[darkmaga-returns]

A Democratic lawmaker in the House of Representatives is proposing the creation of a so-called "shadow government" to challenge the administration and policies of President-elect Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-NC) has suggested setting up a "shadow cabinet" to oppose the Trump administration. Nickel claimed that this idea, adopted from the British parliamentary system where the leading opposition party creates a shadow cabinet to hold the government accountable, could serve as an essential check against what he described as "extreme MAGA attacks on our government."

"As Democrats, we simply failed to convince the American people we have better ideas to solve their problems, but we do," said Nickel. "Now we need to dust ourselves off and get ready to fight."

Nickel clarified that the shadow cabinet would question Trump's policies and give alternative solutions to tackle urgent national issues. He proposed that U.S. Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA) should serve as the shadow U.S. attorney general (AG) to oppose Trump's nominee, former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). However, Gaetz withdrew his name as a potential nominee and was replaced by former Florida AG Pam Bondi.

"If Trump attempts to weaponize the justice system against his political opponents, we need leaders like Schiff to stand up for independent justice," Nickel declared.

He also suggested U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT) as shadow education secretary to protect public education, and U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY) as shadow state secretary to handle foreign policy concerns and defend the United States' international allies and commitments. He also recommended that U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) could serve as shadow health and human services secretary to protect so-called "reproductive rights."

Finally, Nickel nominated Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) as shadow head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to oppose Trump's pick, former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), who Nickel claims might undermine environmental protections and policies. 

[reality-detective]

Pam Bondi and Demonrat Senator Padilla have an exchange 🤔

[bloghrexach]

PSA -- Rachel Maddow on Pam Bondi: Five things to know about Trump's (second) pick for attorney general ... "How much will Americans get to know about the people Trump is choosing to run the U.S. government? In the absence of any real vetting the way it's usually done, Rachel Maddow presents a Rachel Maddow Show Public Servant Announcement to hopefully help fill that gap.

Rachel takes a closer look at Trump's choice for attorney general, Pam Bondi, who has been working closely with Trump, despite not being given a role in his first administration, showing commitment to his causes, including the prosecution of his political opponents. While Bondi is not highly regarded for her abilities, she does benefit from comparison to Trump's first choice for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz."

I know of her ... I live in FloriDUH!!

[strugglingyetvibing]

reblogging to add the link to the deactivated page: here

if you would like to read through the constitution, you can do so here (through the Constitution Center) and here (through the National Archives)

i just quickly looked through the white house's website (which you can find here), and the site is divided into three sections: "News," "Administration," and "Issues." there are no other sections available on the site at all

the news section outlines actions the president has already taken. these mostly consist of the executive orders that have been signed since january 21st, however more will be added as the president takes further actions, including "Remarks," "Briefings & Statements," "Presidential Actions," and "Articles." if i had to guess, "remarks" will be tidbits from the president about the various issues he'll cover (think of them like official tweets or trump's version of fireside chats), "briefings & statements" will probably be more official tidbits that would be labeled something like "from the office of the president" or something, "presidential actions" will be any more executive actions the president chooses to take (this is where his current executive actions are listed), and "articles" will cover all of the above.

the administration section shows photos and short biographies of president trump, vice president vance, first lady melania trump, and second lady usha vance, in that order. clicking on their names and/or photos takes you to a page with a more thorough biography of each person. listed underneath the second lady's photo and mini biography is a listing for "The Cabinet." the photo is of the white house, and the description simply tells what the cabinet does. clicking on this name/photo takes you to a page listing out each of the president's cabinet picks along with short biographies on each pick.

for clarification, the positions the president has nominated someone for (and who he has nominated) are as follows: Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Lee Zeldin), Administrator of the Small Business Administration (Kelly Loeffler), Attorney General (Pam Bondi), Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (John Ratcliffe), Director of National Intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard), Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Russ Vought), Secretary of Agriculture (Brooke Rollins), Secretary of Commerce (Howard Lutnick), Secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth), Secretary of Education (Linda McMahon), Secretary of Energy (Chris Wright), Secretary of Health and Human Services (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.), Secretary of Homeland Security (Kristi Noem), Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Scott Turner), Secretary of the Interior (Doug Burgum), Secretary of Labor (Lori Chavez-DeRemer), Secretary of State (Marco Rubio), Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Doug Collins), Secretary of Transportation (Sean Duffy), Secretary of the Treasury (Scott Bessent), United States Ambassador to the United Nations (Elise Stefanik), and United States Trade Representative (Jamieson Greer).

the above list does not include the president's suggested Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE is listed under executive orders and does not explicity mention elon musk, whom the president has said would run the department.

finally, the issues section defines the issues that the trump-vance administration will attempt to tackle while in power. while i won't outline every item (you can read them here), the sections are as follows: Make America Safe Again (this is where they list border security initiatives), Make America Affordable and Energy Dominant Again (this is where they mention withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and the inauguration promise to "drill, baby, drill") , Drain the Swamp (this is where the president lists his executive orders and wishes to revoke DEI initiatives), and Bring Back American Values (this is where they outline intent to only recognize male and female identities).

there is nothing else on the website of the white house. no establishing federal documents, no constitution, no further information on how the executive branch of the government works. at the bottom of the website, they list the address of the white house as well as links to their twitter, instagram, and facebook pages as well as copyright and privacy information.

take this information for what you will, and please go read the site for more detailed information, especially on his cabinet picks and administration goals. knowing who is in power and what they will work to do will help prepare for various actions taken in the future or various statements that could be made.

i know this was a lot for a reblog, but information is key, especially in an era in which information can be so easily changed and/or misconstrued. things are already changing within the first day of the new administration, and it is incredibly important to be informed and prepared.

So, I heard people on other platforms say that when you search for the constitution, the page is not found, and it seems to be unavailable when I checked, but this is not the only resource missing. Some immigration websites and apps are also unavailable, this is not a coincidence. It’s all connected to Trump trying to get rid of birthright citizenship and the mass deportations going on in certain cities. Please check this website on what to do during an ICE encounter, and spread this information, as this is useful for individuals, families employers who want to protect loved ones or their employees. Remember your rights.

[mariacallous]

Jewish parents in Maryland’s Montgomery County have no clue how their school district’s antisemitism investigation is proceeding. 

It’s been more than nine months since the U.S. Department of Education opened its Title VI civil rights probe into reports of antisemitic bullying, including at pro-Palestinian student protests, at the suburban Maryland district. The case was one of more than 100 investigations the department’s Office of Civil Rights has opened at colleges and K-12 districts since the Gaza war began, part of the Biden administration’s highly publicized efforts to combat rising campus antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Yet today, according to department records, the vast majority of those cases have yet to be resolved — including Montgomery County Public Schools’. And the parent activists who initially sounded the alarm on the district say they haven’t heard anything.

“If there is an investigation, it certainly doesn’t seem to be causing much concern,” Margery Smelkinson, one of the Jewish parents, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week. “The process is completely opaque, and it’s hard not to conclude that nothing is actually being done.”

Smelkinson’s group, the Maryland Jewish Alliance, tried submitting their own Title VI complaint, in partnership with the right-wing Zionist Organization of America. The initial complaint was filed by a conservative activist with no connection to the district and without the group’s knowledge, based on an op-ed Smelkinson and another parent had written. By contrast, the complaint from the parents who actually lived there, she felt, was “far more detailed.”

Yet the office wouldn’t open theirs, because the less detailed one had beaten them to the punch — a sign, she believes, that the department is only doing “the bare minimum.”

Critics of the OCR’s handling of antisemitism complaints are hoping that will change during a second term for Donald Trump, who has proposed a radical overhaul of United States education policy, including shuttering the DOE altogether. He also wants to use the long arm of the law on pro-Palestinian, non-citizen campus protesters, having threatened to deport them.

If Trump were to follow through on closing the Department of Education, the Department of Justice would be a likely new home for campus civil rights issues including Title VI. Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, has taken a hard-line approach against campus pro-Palestinian protesters. 

Other campaign promises, including threats to hold university endowments and accreditations hostage unless they curb what Trump calls “Marxist maniacs and lunatics,” have set off alarm bells among many education insiders and proponents of academic freedom. They worry about his nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, who has very little education experience, and note that Trump-friendly states like Texas and Oklahoma are more openly embracing a push to get Bible-tinged curriculum into public schools.

But some Jewish parents, if they’re not exactly welcoming all of these changes, see an opportunity in Trump’s education agenda. It was under his first administration, they point out, that the department expanded some Title VI protections for Jews, as outlined in a 2019 executive order on antisemitism.

“One can only assume this issue will be taken more seriously under his administration,” Smelkinson said.

Through a spokesperson, the Department of Education declined to comment for this story. But its top officials, including current Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Catherine Lhamon, who oversees the Office of Civil Rights, have in the past year told JTA they place a high priority on fighting campus antisemitism in their department through Title VI. 

Major Jewish groups have taken this cue and seized on the statute. The American Jewish Committee has hosted webinars with Lhamon, and the Anti-Defamation League and others signed on to some civil rights complaints. Even more politically conservative Jews and Jewish groups, including ZOA, former Trump administration officials and Orthodox student-focused organizations, put stock in Biden’s intent to fight campus antisemitism and encouraged their networks to flood the department with Title VI complaints.

By some metrics, things are already better for Jews on campus. A new study from Harvard University found that the number of pro-Palestinian campus protests so far this semester — a common breeding ground for accusations of antisemitism — has plummeted to less than one-third of last semester. In part that is due to stricter enforcement of protests by schools that now must weigh the possibility of a federal investigation or a lawsuit much more heavily than they were in the immediate months after Oct. 7. 

But when it comes to Title VI, despite a flurry of opened investigations at major educational institutions, few of the cases opened during Biden’s term have been completed. 

A small number of Israel-related investigations opened since Oct. 7 have concluded with formal resolution agreements, or pledges from the schools to take specific steps to better address antisemitism. Those include the University of Michigan and the City University of New York, which both agreed to improve their antisemitism training; Brown University, which said it will rethink how it handles campus protests; and Muhlenberg College, which promised to take action against a tenured Jewish anti-Zionist professor who had been accused of harassing Jewish and pro-Israel students. (Muhlenberg’s agreement was reached days after the professor in question announced she had been fired over her advocacy.)

Some schools, as part of their resolution agreements, have hired Title VI coordinators to more effectively respond to future complaints. Such positions could soon become required by law, as in Maryland, where a legislator last week introduced a bill to require all colleges in the state to have such a staff role. 

One of those schools to voluntarily create such a role, New York University, also instituted a bold change to its harassment policy by declaring that targeting “Zionists” could violate it. Such changes have drawn criticism from progressives, who argue that Title VI has prompted a chilling effect on pro-Palestinian campus speech and courses.

Some Title VI cases that predated Oct. 7 by years, including one at the University of Illinois, have also formally concluded in the months since renewed attention was placed on the department.

On Tuesday, the ADL and the Jewish legal group Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law announced another resolution, this one involving Occidental College in Los Angeles — where, the April complaint alleged, Jewish and Israeli students were accosted by protesters on campus who sometimes uttered antisemitic slurs. The complaint also accused the college of not protecting Jewish students by agreeing to some demands of pro-Palestinian protesters who, shortly after Oct. 7, had occupied a building on campus. 

In response the school agreed to “consider” the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s controversial definition of antisemitism, which progressive critics say chills legitimate criticism of Israel. (The resolution agreement includes a caveat that IHRA will be utilized “only where useful as ‘evidence of discriminatory intent.’”) The college also said it would incorporate some attacks on Zionists (including “applying a ‘no Zionist’ litmus test for participation in any Occidental activity”) into its bias and harassment training.

Other agreements include appointing a director of Jewish student life (and one for Muslim student life), and agreeing to host lectures and workshops about “the connections between Jewish identity, Israel and Zionism.”

Agreements like the one reached at Occidental could be seen as a win for many pro-Israel Jewish groups who have been pushing the IHRA definition for years (it was included in Trump’s 2019 executive order), as well as a sign of how Title VI enforcement appears to be aligning more and more closely with their longstanding goals for policing discussions of Israel on campuses.

But for every resolution, there are many more in the department’s backlog. Many Title VI cases at high-profile schools remain active, including three at Columbia University; one at Harvard; two at Cornell; and others at major public school districts in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Oakland. The department has also continued to open new cases on a weekly basis, though at a slower clip than its height this past winter.

(The civil rights office does not disclose details about its ongoing investigations, including whether a case involves allegations of antisemitism or other civil rights violations, but JTA has independently verified that many if not all of those listed above involve Israel-related matters.)

For Kenneth Marcus, the founder of the Brandeis Center and a former Trump official, the president-elect’s plans for education — even his hopes of dismantling the department — should be welcomed by Jews.

“It’s not entirely clear that creating the Department of Education was so good for education, and so it’s not any more clear that closing it would be bad,” Marcus, who headed the department’s civil rights office in Trump’s first term, told JTA. He added that Trump has demonstrated a particular interest in campus antisemitism, including by vowing to deport pro-Palestinian campus protesters, and that his first administration’s track record should comfort Jews: “No president during our lifetimes has done more to address campus antisemitism from a policy perspective than President Trump did.”

Other major Jewish players in the TItle VI space said they still believed in the law’s effectiveness in addressing campus antisemitism.

“Title VI has been, and continues to be, a vital and effective tool for fighting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students from hostile environments and/or pervasive harassment,” Laura Shaw Frank, director of AJC’s Center for Education Advocacy, told JTA in a statement. “We are confident that investigations will continue under the incoming Trump administration and urge reporting of any and all incidents of antisemitism.” 

“Regardless of the future of the DOE there will still remain the need for Title VI enforcement,” Rabbi David Markowitz, executive vice president at the Orthodox campus outreach group Olami, told JTA in a statement. “Another agency will need to pick up the responsibility or they will need to work with states to fight antisemitism on campus.”

Since Oct. 7, Olami has taken an active role in advocating for stricter federal enforcement of Title VI. This spring the group held a press conference on Capitol Hill urging changes to its reporting system. At the conference, one of Olami’s biggest advocates in Congress was Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who last week introduced legislation intended to keep a newly elected transgender representative from using women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill.

Not all conservative campus antisemitism activists are upset with the Biden administration’s handling of the issue. 

“I have nothing but respect for the Office for Civil Rights’ handling of my Title VI complaints,” said Zachary Marschall, the editor of the conservative college-focused site Campus Reform and a frequent filer of Title VI antisemitism complaints. “The staff remain communicative and committed to doing their jobs.”

Marschall has filed dozens of complaints at campuses across the country, sometimes based on social media reports; Jews and officials at several of these campuses have criticized his approach as meddling. But, he said, federal investigators have taken them seriously. Brown’s resolution stemmed from his own complaint, and another one of his, at Temple University, is also negotiating a resolution, he said.

Without commenting on what Trump could do to the campus antisemitism fight, Marschall said the problem “is now a bottom-up process that primarily involves college administrators, law enforcement, and prosecutors,” rather than the federal government.

To Marcus, the possibility that Title VI enforcement could move to the Justice Department is a positive development: A Justice mandate to fight campus antisemitism, he says, would likely bring more federal lawsuits against schools. Since he left the Trump administration, the Brandeis Center has filed both lawsuits and Title VI complaints against schools for alleged antisemitism, in some cases partnering with the ADL.

(Lawsuits, if they progress to a trial or a settlement, can be more powerful tools for holding institutions accountable than agreements reached by the Department of Education, which can only dangle federal funding as leverage. But lawsuits are also more expensive and time-consuming than filing a Title VI complaint, making them less realistic for individuals unconnected to groups like the Brandeis Center.)

While other Jews have been frustrated by Title VI, in Marcus’s view, they should keep filing complaints.

“This would be the worst time to stop filing OCR complaints,” he said. “We certainly won’t stop filing OCR complaints anytime soon. After all, there’s a new administration coming into power.”